In this review, we will be comparing Black TreVoce 12 PRO and ForceField 4, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from OSD and GoldenEar. Being Powered subwoofers, they both have built-in amplifiers so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp to power them. Let's have a brief look at the main features of OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO and GoldenEar ForceField 4 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.
The sections below take each area in turn: driver and amplifier, frequency response, physical size and connectivity.
Drivers
The efficiency of a subwoofer is directly proportional to the total radiating are squared hence the woofer quantity and diameter.Both OSD Black TreVoce 12 PROand GoldenEar ForceField 4 have a single woofer setup however the OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO's woofer is 12-inch whereas the GoldenEar ForceField 4 features a 10-inch woofer.
Frequency Response
Black TreVoce 12 PRO has a frequency range of 18-250 Hz whereas ForceField 4 has a frequency range of 14-250 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 14Hz, the ForceField 4 can go slightly deeper then the Black TreVoce 12 PRO's min frequency of 18Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Subwoofer class in our database.
Low Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO's and GoldenEar ForceField 4's external dimensions. OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO has external dimensions of 450.9 x 404.8 x 473.1mm () whereas GoldenEar ForceField 4 has external dimensions of 331.0 x 340.0 x 482.0mm (13inch x 13-3/8inch x 18-15/16inch).
GoldenEar ForceField 4 is 64.8mm narrower and 119.9mm shorter than OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO but it is also 8.9mm deeper.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO needs about 17% more floor or shelf area. OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO is 120mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO is approximately 1915.1cm2 / 296.8inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar ForceField 4 is approximately 1638.8cm2 / 254.0inch2. The Black TreVoce 12 PRO requires 17% more surface area than the ForceField 4 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a subwoofer may become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often to find the optimal positioning, also known as 'Subwoofer Crawling'. The OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO weighs 21.09kg / 46.4lbs and the GoldenEar ForceField 4 weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs. This makes the Black TreVoce 12 PRO 45% heavier than the ForceField 4.
Here is a comparison of how Black TreVoce 12 PRO and ForceField 4's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
 Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
10 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
14 Hz
vs
18 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
331mm
vs
450mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1638cm2
vs
1915cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
799USD
vs
800USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
Size, drawn to scale
Both subwoofers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same floor and pushed back to the same wall, so the bigger one visibly takes more of the room.
OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO needs about 17% more floor area. OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO is 120mm taller.
| General |
OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO |
GoldenEar ForceField 4 |
| Brand |
OSD |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Frequency Response |
18-250 Hz |
14-250 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
300-watt RMS |
1200-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
800-watt RMS |
n/a |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
12" |
10" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Polypropylene |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
450.9mm (17.8") |
331.0mm (13") |
| Width |
404.8mm (15.9") |
340.0mm (13.4") |
| Depth |
473.1mm (18.6") |
482.0mm (19") |
| Weight |
21.09kg (46.4lbs) |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
| Enclosure |
|
Passive Radiator |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
2 Years |
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
2 Years |
3 Years |
No single best subwoofer here. Your room, where the box can physically go, and whether this is mainly for films or mainly for music will settle it long before the specs do.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass depth | B | GoldenEar ForceField 4 goes deeper - 14Hz against 18Hz. Under 20Hz is felt more than heard - the bottom of a pipe organ and the bottom of a film mix. |
| Amplifier power | B | GoldenEar ForceField 4 has the bigger amplifier - 1200W against 300W RMS, about 6dB more on tap. In a large room that is headroom before the DSP starts limiting. |
| Driver area | A | OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO moves more air: 12" against 10" is 1.44x the cone area, not the 1.2x the diameters suggest. More area means the same output with less excursion, and less distortion with it. |
| Enclosure | evenly matched | Both are passive radiator designs, so they roll off in much the same way. |
| Cabinet size | depends | GoldenEar ForceField 4 is about 37% smaller by volume. In a subwoofer that is a real trade rather than a preference: box volume is how you get output low down without a bigger amplifier. |
| Warranty | B | GoldenEar ForceField 4 carries 3 years on parts against 2 years. A subwoofer amplifier works harder than anything else in the system, so this is not a throwaway line. |
| Price | evenly matched | Priced within a few per cent of each other. |
A OSD Black TreVoce 12 PRO B GoldenEar ForceField 4
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both subwoofers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
GoldenEar ForceField 4 has the edge on paper, though not by much. The "depends" rows are more likely to decide this than the score is. If placement is the constraint - a corner, behind a sofa, under a desk - GoldenEar ForceField 4 is the one that will actually go there, and a well-placed small subwoofer beats a badly-placed big one every time.
One thing outweighs everything above: where the subwoofer stands. Room modes can add or remove 10dB or more at a given seat, which is far larger than any difference on this page. Before spending more, try the sub in two or three positions - the crawl test, where you put it in the listening seat and crawl the room to find where the bass sounds best, costs nothing and usually beats an upgrade.